System of precooling fruit-cars or the like.



A. PAGET. SYSTEM OF PREGOOLING FRUIT CARS OR THE LIKE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JAN. 19, 1909. 1941 ,443, Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

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A. PAGET. SYSTEM OF PRBOOOLII IG FRUIT (JARS OR THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 19, 1909. v

' Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

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A. FAGET.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1909.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

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SYSTEM OF PREOOOLING FRUIT CABS OR THE LIKE.

" To all whom it may concern: 1

ARTHURFAGET, or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SYSTEM OF IRECOOLING FRUIT-CARS 3. THE LIKE.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Application filed January 19, 1909. Serial Ho. 473,056.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR FAGET, a citizen of the United States, and resident of a chamber containing fresh fruit or other perishable vegetable goods. It has heretogoods contained in the car.

San Francisco, in the county of San F rancisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful System of Precooling Fruit cars or the Like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for establishmg proper conditionsof temperature in fore been proposed to establish proper temperature conditions in a railway car loaded with fruit or the like before starting it out upon its run from a packing place to a place of market, and this has actually beeen done by withdrawing air from one end of a car and replacing it by air at an appropriate temperature, introduced at the opposite end of the car. This system is objectionable, in that it does not replace allof'the air in the car promptly, and also because the change of. temperature effected is not gradual or uniform throughout the car. Perishable goods of this kind are injured by subjecting them to sudden impingement of cold air, or by subjecting different portions to unequal temperatures.

The object of my invention is to provide for a more thorough changing of the temperature of the air in the car, and to do this gradually and uniformly throughout the interior of the car, and also without subjecting any of the contents of the car to the direct impingement of cold air as it is introduced.

To these ends, my invention consists in introducing the air not only at a point or oints remote from that at which the existmg air v in the car is withdrawn, but at widely separated points, in a stream or streamspresented in a direction or directions other than-toward the point of discharge, and in directions other than toward the According to one method of carrying out my invention, theair is introduced at one end of the car and discharged through suitable distributing means and removed from the opposite end of the car; According to another method, the airis introduced at an intermediate point in the car and distributed in opposite directions therefrom, while it is withdrawn at both'ends of the car, but the points of discharge for the incoming air in the opposite lead pipes, are directedaway from the ends of the car toward which the leads project.

My invention will be fully understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a schematic view, illustrating one arrangement which suggests itself for carrying out my present invention on either of the plans above outlined; Figs. 2 and 3 are, respectively, a vertical and a horizontal section through a fruitcar'of standard construction, in which means for carrying out one method of my invention, is embodied; Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, a vertical section and a horizontal section of a. standard fruit car, showing a means for carrying out the other method of my invention herein disclosed; Fi 6 is a transverse section on the. line 66, Flgs. 2 and 3; Fig. 7 is a section on the line 99, Figs. 4 and 5; Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on the line 8-8, Fig.

1, and Fig. 9 is a section on an enlarged scale on one of the vents shown in Figs. 2'

and 3. I

While not limiting myself to any particular construction of apparatus, I will proceed to describe those herein illustrated for the purpose ofmaking known the nature of my invention.

A represents a freight car of suitable construction to receive and convey fruit or other perishable vegetable goods.

B is a pipe adapted to supply cold air from a fan C, air being led from said pipe B, through a, conductor D into the hatch E of the car, or through a conductor D, through the side door F provided with an openingf. Simultaneously with the introduction of cold air from pipe B, air is with drawn from the car through a pipe G introduced into the opposite hatch H, and for the sake of economy, the air thus withdrawn, which in the course of the process necessarily becomes mingled with some of the cool air, is passed through a pipe I and a cooling coil K, which may be of any construction, back to the fan C or other air forcing means which is to supply cold air to the car. In this manner, the entire body of air within the car may be so far changed as to establish the desired conditions of temthrough the'side (1001' F by introducing the conductor D into the opening f, the valve d may be opened and a ate Z may be swun from the full-line positlon to the dotted-line perat-ure therein. If'the cold air is supplied position shown in Fig. 8. Under tliese conditions, the return pipe I will draw not only tudinally of a car.

from the hatch H, but will draw through a branch pipe I from the hatch E, and we have the condition of introducing air at an intermediate point in the car and withdrawing it from both ends.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 9, which illustrate a car equipment adapted for introducing air into one end of the car and withdrawing it at the other, 1 represents an air trunk line or flue extending along one side of the car beneath the roof and having a series of discharge ports 2 controlled by slide valves 3 arranged along one side thereof and a series of discharge ports 4 controlled by slide-valves 5 arranged along the other side thereof. A funnel 6 communicating with the flue 1, projects through the hatch H in position to make connection with whatever means may be provided for supplying cold air to the car. The slides 3 may be provided with supports 3 Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 7, 7 represents an air trunk line or fine adapted to be supported in an intermediate position longi- This trunk line or flue is provided with transverse end discharge ports 8, intermediate discharge ports 9, and

middle discharge ports 10, all of which are preferably arranged with their axes in the same horizontal plane, so that they discharge horizontally and not downward, and the intermediate discharge ports 9 are inclined toward the middle while the ports 10 are inclined away from the middle. By this arrangement of discharge ports, the air enters the car at widely distributed points and in widely diversified directions other than toward" the goods within the car, and other than toward the points at which air is discharged from the' car. The result, of this arrangement is a thorough and uniform supply of cool air to all parts of the car with a minimum discharge of the cool air before it mingles with the contained toward the middle.

air in the car, and withal a gradual reduction of the temperature uniformly throughout the car in a manner to avoid deterioration of the fruit. It will be observed that the discharge ports 8, 9 and 10 decrease in diameter from the outer ends The trunk line or flue 7 is fed through a flue 11 at the middle, and reduction of the nearest ports with a gradual increase of diameter is provided in order to render the discharge from theports more uniform, notwithstanding their increasing distance from the supply and consequent reduction in pressure. 1

In supplying the air at an intermediate.

point and withdrawing it at two end points of the car, I prefer to use an expanding chamber 12 between the inlet 13 and the supply and withdrawn before the ear is ship ed.

The form of a aratus shown in igs. 2, 3 and G is intendiid to be apart of the permanent equipment of the car, whereas the form shown in Fi s. 4, 5 and 7, es eciall when'located in t e lane in whie it 1s illustrated, will be pre erably removed from the 'car' prior to shipment. o facilitate removal, the air flue 7 is preferably constructed to be se arated as indicated at 7.

It will be un erstood that in the present practice of shipping fruit and like erishable goods, precooling is resorted to for the purpose of establishing proper temperature conditions before a car is started on 1ts journey, and for the purpose of bringing the fruit to a good keepin" temperature, in a manner that will not diateriorate it by too sudden cooling or unequal cooling in itl'erent parts. After the car is closed up, it may, of course, be kept at proper temperature in transit by presence of ice in refrigerating compartments M supplied through hatches E and H at different oints en route.

Having thus described m invention, What I claim as new therein an desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a precooling apparatus the combination of the air intake pipe, the pipes extending laterally therefrom, and the series of discharge ports in the lateral pipes discharging in a horizontal plane.

2. In a precooling apparatus, the combination of the air intake pipe, the pipes extending laterally therefrom, and the series of discharge ports in the lateral pipes discharging in a horizontal plane, and constructed of gradually increasing dimension.

3. In a precooling apparatus, the combination of the air intake pipe, the pipes ex tending laterally therefrom, and the series of discharge ports in the lateral pipes discharging in a horizontal plane, and inclined toward the middle.

4. In a precooling apparatus, the co--|hination of the feed opening, the ex )uu liug chamber, into which the feed opening discharges the intake leading from the expanding chamber, and the discharge openings fed from the intake,

5. In a precooling apparatus, the combination of the false door adapted to fit a doorway of a car or other opening, an air intake'extending from said false door, and suitable discharging means supplied by said intake.

ARTHUR FAGET. In presence of A. L. BABCOCK, M. MAoFnRRIs. 

